Looking older isn’t the only problem associated with drooping eyelid skin. While eyelid drooping certainly indicates advancing age, heavy eyelid skin can also cause eyestrain, interfere with makeup application, cause discomfort while wearing contact lenses, and in severe cases, impair vision.
Many people with drooping upper eyelid skin lift their eyebrows frequently in an attempt to pull the sagging skin off the top of the eyeballs. This is often done unconsciously when the excess skin that sits on top of the eyeball causes a feeling of discomfort. The weight of the droopy eyelid skin can also tire the muscles of the eye, causing eyestrain or fatigue. Constantly lifting the eyebrows contributes to forehead wrinkling and may stretch the eyelid skin out even more.
Difficulty applying makeup is another problem associated with drooping upper eyelid skin. Since the eyelids are only slightly visible under the excess skin or not at all, eyeliner applied along the lash line tends to transfer onto the overhanging skin, as does mascara. Eye shadow is not easy to see unless it is applied up and over the hanging skin which only accentuates the problem.
In some cases, droopy eyelids can create pressure on the rims of contact lenses. Facial expressions that change the position of the excess skin around the eyes can push the lens off its natural resting place, causing the need for additional blinking to restore the position of the lens. This can be quite annoying, and, depending on the level of interference, can cause irritation to the cornea of the eye.
One solution for these problems is upper eye lift surgery (blepharoplasty). Many people, however, are not good candidates for this procedure. There are medical conditions such as heart or lung disease, chronic renal disease, diabetes, thyroid disease, a history of facial palsy, bleeding disorders and dry eye syndrome that rule out surgery as an option. Other reasons people do not opt for upper eyelid surgery include lack of insurance or financial resources to cover the high cost of the procedure and the potential for unforeseen complications. So if you can’t (or don’t want to) have the eyelid lift procedure performed for any of these reasons, what can you do?
You can try Eye Magic! Eye Magic is an effective, non-surgical alternative to blepharoplasty. Eye Magic consists of small, translucent, hypoallergenic strips designed to provide temporary support for sagging eyelid skin. When the strips are placed over the fold line on the eyelid, the skin stays in its natural position, keeping loose skin from sagging forward over the eyelids. It’s just that simple. The application is easy after a little practice and is well worth the effort. You’ll have eyelids again, you’ll be able to apply makeup without the hassle and you won’t look or feel tired and old. Try it and see for yourself!
